Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

Dr. Tara Cousineau, a part-time staff psychologist at Harvard and author of "The Perfectionist’s Dilemma," dives deep into the struggles of perfectionism faced by adults with ADHD. She shares how perfectionism can stem from childhood experiences and societal pressures, leading to anxiety and burnout. The conversation highlights the importance of celebrating small wins, embracing imperfections, and introducing new experiences to challenge limiting beliefs. Dr. Cousineau also offers strategies for cultivating self-acceptance and fostering a more balanced life.

In this discussion, Cat Duvall, the founder of Nine Lives Yoga and the Morning Ritual Club, shares her journey through burnout and her mission to bring happiness to adults with ADHD. She introduces her Four Pillars of Happiness: Peace, Purpose, Power, and Play, emphasizing how these concepts can transform your life. Cat offers practical strategies to combat stress and cultivate self-compassion. Listeners will find actionable advice to navigate the complexities of burnout and creative ways to find joy and fulfillment in their everyday lives.

In this engaging discussion, Grace Koelma, author of "ADHD Focus Friend" and host of "Your ADHD Besties," shares her expertise on selecting the ideal planner for adults with ADHD. She tackles the challenges of planning amidst distraction and emphasizes the need for tailored organizational tools. Grace explores why many abandon planners, highlighting the balance between creativity and structure. With insights on emotional regulation and simplicity in planning, she empowers listeners to create systems that truly work for them.

If you're on a journey and your goal is to thrive as an adult with ADHD, one of the best ways to begin to move things in a positive way is to employ some self-awareness. So today's podcast is about how to ask a series of questions after each work day as you work towards creating fulfilling work days with meaningful productivity. Dave talks about a few basic questions you can ask yourself every day to understand focus, time and energy, what energizes you what drains you and how you can put a little more thought into how you structure your days with a goal of feeling good as you drive home. Check out this podcast on adult ADHD, daily self-awareness and making small changes that can equal big results. **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min  

Dr. Claire Plumbly, a clinical psychologist and author of "The Trauma of Burnout," shares her expertise on the complexities of burnout in this engaging discussion. She clarifies the distinction between stress and burnout, emphasizing that chronic stress, often exacerbated by caregiving responsibilities, can lead to physical trauma. Dr. Plumbly explores the polyvagal theory, outlining how to soothe and manage the nervous system to recover effectively. Listeners will gain valuable strategies for recognizing their body's signals and achieving optimal self-care.

Many busy adults with ADHD, and maybe you are one of them, feel like they can't catch their breath, and they go day-to-day and week-to-week trying to get everything done. This is especially common in the workplace but also happens in our personal lives. There is one foundational strategy that can help busy adults with ADHD lower stress levels and that is hitting the pause button and slowing down, even if it is for a few minutes. However, many of us either don't do it or don't know how to hit that internal pause button. When we practice pausing on a regular basis, those of us with adult ADHD can change the game. We can lower our stress; we can make productivity more fulfilling, and make fewer mistakes. Join Dave as he talks about one of his favorite things to do. Hitting the pause button! **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min  

Dave talks about some of the foundations we should refocus on for the coming year. If you're an adult with ADHD and you have a busy life and career, these are some of the core items you should make sure you have in your life every day. Thriving with adult ADHD does not have to be complicated and that's why Dave refocuses on some of the basics that we need to remind ourselves of continuously. Enjoy this episode and let's get back to the basics! **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min  

If you are an adult with ADHD, and you are either feeling burned out or have decided that your career is no longer serving you, this is the podcast episode for you. Grab a notebook and a pen because we have one of the most well-known experts in the field of ADHD careers today. Shell Mendelson is the Author of Unlock Your Career Path. This book is specifically crafted for neurodivergent adults and even teens who need to explore new careers or make a change. Shell also hosts programs to guide those with ADHD to their next career or job. Shell and Dave discuss some of the major factors that finally cause adults with ADHD to decide they need a new job or even a completely new career. They also discuss that when a job or career becomes not a good fit, it's not always our fault and we need to understand this. There are many external factors that make a career unmanageable for adults with ADHD. Some adults may also let a career decision go far too long, for example when someone is feeling burned out and they put off making a tough decision. Shell talks about strategies to make our existing job and/or career manageable while we do the necessary work to identify and secure a new role. Some of us may not be able to leave our job in the short term and we'll need to make our current situation work. Shell runs one of the only ADHD specific career workshops and she walks us through what people will take away from joining her workshop. Find Shell and her book at her websites:  www.careercoachingwithshell.com  www.unlockyourcareerpath.com  **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min  

We are talking about mindsets in this episode of Overcoming Distractions. Some mindsets are useful, and some are not serving you well anymore. One mindset that might ring a bell to you is that “I work better on deadline.” And we know most of us have ADHD in this community can say this…. However that's a mindset that may not be totally true for most of us. Dave sits down with Dr. Charryse Johnson, LCMHC, NCC a veteran psychotherapist and mindfulness practitioner whose work focuses on the intersection of trauma, somatic integration, spirituality, and social justice. She is the founder of Jade Integrative Counseling and Wellness, an integrative therapy practice where personal values, the search for meaning, and the power of choice are the central focus.  Her new book is called- Expired Mindsets: Releasing Patterns That No Longer Serve You Well  Dr. Johnson explains that an expired mindset is something that may have been useful to you at one time but presently does not serve you. Maybe we continue to tell ourselves something that just doesn't help us move forward any longer. She also discusses with Dave how a proper mindset allows us to thrive and be fulfilled in life and in our work. And how throughout our life we may be telling ourselves certain things that may not be true to us. Dr. Johnson also explains the concept of shift versus change when it comes to moving away from expired mindsets. Dave and Dr. Johnson discuss why self-awareness is so crucial for adults with ADHD and why this is important for us to understand ourselves and how we can thrive using proper mindsets. Dr. Johnson talks about her role as a psychotherapist and what's involved when she's trying to key in on somebody's mindsets and how that helps them move forward. She also discusses why it is important to release certain patterns and how to begin that process. And Dave and Dr. Johnson wrapped up by discussing how we can make progress fun moving forward from expired mindsets and negative self-talk. Learn more about Dr. Charryse Johnson on her website here. https://drcharryse.com/ **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min  

There are several ways that you can get the support you need as an adult with ADHD. There's coaching and mentorships. There are different types of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and other modalities geared towards adults with ADHD. But many feel the best way is when we incorporate more of a holistic approach to managing and thriving with ADHD which involves many types of strategies and support systems. So today, we're talking about Beyond ADHD coaching, including different types of therapy, fitness and movement, and more. Today, we have Dr Jessica McCarthy, the founder and clinical director of Elements Psychological Services. Elements offers a wide range of support systems for individuals with ADHD. Dr. McCarthy introduces us to her practice and discusses the importance of a thorough ADHD assessment, which her practice provides. Dave and Dr. McCarthy also discuss and distinguish the difference between ADHD coaching, mentorship and clinical support. She discusses what we are trying to uncover in therapy such as why we do certain things and why we do not. For example, missing deadlines, task initiation and the challenges we have. She also discusses how we can begin to make critical shifts in our lives that may be beyond ADHD coaching. How can an adult with ADHD make progress and see measurable results in their lives? They also discuss energy management. How can we focus on a strength-based discussion? How can we get more of what we are good at in both our careers and at home? But also realizing there were certain must haves such as paying bills on time, etc… Dr. McCarthy discusses how important it is for us to manage those internal distractions and emotions so we can thrive as an adult with ADHD, especially in our careers and the workplace. Dave and Dr. McCarthy discuss fitness and how mission critical it is for busy adults with ADHD. She says having fitness in our lives falls into the deal-breaker category. It must be part of our lives. https://elementspsych.com/ **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min